Improvement in music-leaf turners



`F. G. JOHNSON.

Music-Leaf Turner.

UNITED S'rn'rnsO PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK G. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, LLNOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSIC'LEAF TURNERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160.826, datcd March 16, 1875; application filed January 19, 1875.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. J oHNsoN, of Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Leaf- Turner, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of this invention relates to an v iinproved device to be attached to an organ or piano, to serve as a Sheet-,music or book support, and provided with swinging leafclamps, by means of which the pages may be consecutively turned by the player by means of a treadle and lever.

The invention consists, first, in an adjustable book or Sheet-music support, in combination with a lyre or desk; and, secondly, in the combination, with said desk, of the pe' culiar leaf-turning apparatus, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Fignre 1 is a perspective view of the support and leaf-turning devices. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the lattcr. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at a' w. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the back plate, spur-gear, and rack of the leaf-turning device, the front plate and leaf-turning levers being removed. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the adjustable book-support at y y in Fig. 6 which is a front elevation of the same.

ln the drawin g, A represents a lyre or musicdesk, such as are ordinarily used on organs and pianos. B is a fianged metallic support for a book or Sheet-music, adjustable to various heights on the face of the desk, which has two metal strips, a a, secured to it one on each side of a Vertical slot. Z) is a clampscrew, which passes through the space between the bars, first, however, through a pendent lug under the center of the support, and is tapped into a olamp-nut, c, behind said plates. The support is maintained in a horizontal plane by a tongue, e, which lies in the slot between the strips a. Across the top edge of the desk a back plate, O, is secured, and a front plate, Of, which may be partly or wholly connected or covered at top and bottom, making a tubular structure of it, except at the middle, where the top of each plate is arched. D is a bar, which slides between the front and back plates, having a toothed rack, f, cut in its top edge, with which meshes a spur-gear, E, mounted on a shaft, g, journaled in the plates above. The front end of the shaft projects through to receive a hand-wheel, h. On the face of the bar D are several short racks, arranged in eohelon, running longitudinally in horizontal planes, one above the other. 7a are pinions, sleeved on a Vertical shaft, l, stepped in a pair of brackets above and below a slot cut vertically in the center of the front plate, the pinions projecting through said slot into the plane of the pitch-lines of the racks so that as the bar D is moved along these will consecutively come into gear with said pinions, and rotate them a half-revolution. A leaf-turning lever, m, is secured to each of said pinions, with a pendent Vfork, n, at the outer end of each to receive the corner of a sheet or page of music, which is turned each time the pinion to which the arm is attached is rotated.

Thebar D may be moved byt-he hand-wheel lt to turn the music by hand, if desired; hut iii order to turn the music by a treadle a cord, F', connected to the latter, is carried up to a lever, F, pivoted on the back plate. The inner end of this lever carries a vibrating pawl, o, which engages with one toot-h of a ratchet, Gr, on the rear end of the shaft g, and moves it around one tooth each time the treadle is depressed. The ratchet has as many teeth as there are pinions 7a.

The ratchet is prevent-ed from moving out of position in which it may be left by the pawl through a friction-stop, consisting of a roller, p, held against it by a spring, pf. By having two sets of ratchets on the shaft g, and correspondin g pawls and treadles, the music can be turned at will to the right or left.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the desk A, of the adjustahle book-support B, strips a a, clampscrew Z), nut o, and tongue e, suhstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The plates O' O', bar D, provided with the racks fi, the shaft g, spur-gear E, ratchet G, lever F, pawl 0, stop p, pinions k, and arms m, in combination with the desk A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FRANK. G. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

WM. H. Lorz, OARL MEYER. 

